Manhole-door for brewers&#39; or other vats, tanks, casks, &amp;c.



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Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HEISER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MANHoLE-Doon Fon BnErwEnsJ on OTHER vATs, TANKS, oAsKs, a0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,779, dated June 6, 1905. Application led December 28, 1904:. Serial No. 238,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known th at I, WILLIAM I-InIsER, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manhole-Doors for Brewers or other -V ats, Tanks, Casks, Sac.; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forms afull, clear, and exact specification, whichl will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has general reference to manhole-doors for metallic casks, vats, tanks,and

similar vessels; and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, ashereinafter first fully set forth and describedand then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings already referred to, which serve to illustrate this invention more fully,

Figure lis an elevation of a fragment of a tank, vat, cask, or similar vessel supplied with my improved manhole-door. Fig.. 2 is a sectional plan in line w m of Fig. 1, showing the door in a closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the door in an open position.

Like parts are designated by corresponding letters of reference in all the figures.

The object of this invention is the production of an inwardly-swinging door for the manhole of a tank, Svc., which when closed :shall have no part of the hinge and clamping mechanism within the tank. A

While adapted for use on all kinds of metallic storage tanks, vessels, &c., this device is especially adapted for use in brewers vats,

4which are now largelyV made of sheet metal and porcelain-lined, glazed, or enameledv in their interior. Such vats require a manholedoor capable of being readily enameled and lwhich shall present a perfectly-smooth surface within the vat, so that no projecting parts, crevices, or places exist therein which are not readily cleansed and where foreign matter can lodge and develop bacteria to contaminate the beer. Such a doorin order to, be adapted for glazing or enameling requires,- furthermore, to be of substantially even thickness, owing to the high temperature to whichY 1 it is subjected in the enameling process. To

accomplish this object, I construct this door substantially of a curved casting A, of prefe'rably oval shape and provided with suitable stiffening-ribs a and a groove near its outer periphery for the reception of a resilient packing-ring B, by means of which the manhole C in the wall D of the tank is hermetically closed.

Centrally in the door A there is a screwthreaded stud E tapped and fastened in the door and having on its outer end a nut F, by means of which and a yoke Gr, swiveling upon said stud, the door A may be closed against -the inner surface of the tank D.

I-I is a bracket screwed to the exterior surface of the tank by bolts and provided with two lugs it it', said bracket being one member of a hinge for the door, the other member being a curved arm Lhaving bossesz' c', through which and the lugs L a bolt I is passed and upon which the hinge members turn. rThis curved arm I is bifurcated at its ends, the two members vl of which engage lugs K, located on the face of the door and preferably formed integral therewith, a bolt K passing through these lugs and the members c' of the curved arm, enabling the door to slightly rock or rotate within the fork, whereby the door is better adapted for engaging the inner curved surface of the tank A and not requiring such exactitude in mounting that would be necessary were the door rigidly aiixed to the said curved arm I.

Upon the face of the door there are further lugs L L, provided with adjusting-screws Z, by means of which vertical adjustment of the door is effected by the said adjusting-screws Z acting upon the curved arm I. Any further adjustment of the vertical kposition of the door, as well as any compensation for wear, is effected by a series of washers N, placed upon the bolt K between the lugs K and the members vl of the arm I. Thus should the door sag downwardly in course of time owing to wear a washer N-above the member v1 may be removed and placed upon the bolt K' below the lower member "oand this may be continued from time to time, as occasion may demand.

IOO

On the arm' I there is formed a projection Z), Figs. 2 and 3, near the crook therein. This projection is arranged to strike the outer surface of the tank D, and thereby form a stop for the door to prevent it from coming in contact with the enameling on the inner surface of said tank and which would be likely to injure the same.

It will now be observed that all the hinge mechanism of the inwardly-swinging door of this vat or tank is on the outside thereof, so that the inner surface of the door as well as the tank are perfectly smooth and present no crevices or projecting parts that cannot be readily reached and cleansed, thus producing an eminently sanitary manhole-door answering all the requirements of modern sanitation.

It will be further observed that in the preferred form of my invention the door is not rigidly secured to the curved arm I, (the second member of the hinge mechanism,) but movably attached thereto by means of the lugs la it' on the door and the bolt K passing through said lugs and the fork on the end of said curved arm, which allows the door to slightly oscillate or rock on the end of the curved arm, and thereby to readily adaptitself to the inner curved surface of the tank. By hereinafter claiming in the claims as one of the elements rocking mechanism for the door I desire it to be understood thatI have reference to these means of attaching the door to the curved arm, as heretofore described.

rI "he door proper may be produced in the process of casting in either gray or malleable iron, steel, or other metal, in which case the lugs K and L may be formed integral therewith, or it may be produced in the process of stamping or pressing in sheet metal and the said lugs properly secured thereto, such a pressed door besides being well adapted for enameling possessing the additional advantage of lightness and, superior strength.

In carrying out this invention many changes may be made in the details of construction or in the shape of the parts-for instance, the door may be made circular or rectangular in contour, clamps may be substituted for the yoke G, &c.-without departing from the scope of this invention. The door is also capable of being readily tinned instead of being enameled, especially so when made from sheet metal.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States* A 1. A tank, vat or similar vessel having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior, a door located within the tank and adapted to swing inwardly within the same when being opened, a hinge adapted to connect the door to the tank, one member of said hinge being secured to the outside of the tank and the other member of said hinge being connected packing interposed between the door and the inner surface of the tank, and clamping mechanism for the door, as set forth.

2. In a tank, vat, or similar vessel having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior, an inwardly-swinging door located within the tank; hinge mechanism for said door located on the outside of the tank and the door, and rocking mechanism connecting the hinge mechanism with the door.

3. In a tank, vat, or similar vessel having a manhole for obtaining' access to its interior, an inwardly-swinging door for said manhole located within the tank; a bracket on the outside of the tank and in close proximity thereto; a curved arm pivotcd to said bracket; means for movably connecting` the door to the curved arm, and clamping mechanismfor the door located on the outside thereof.

4L. In a tank, vat, orsimilar vessel havinga manhole for obtaining access to its interior, an inwardly-swinging door located within the tank; hinge mechanism for said door located on the outside of the tank and the door, and rocking mechanism connecting the hinge mechanism with the door.

5. In a tank, vat, or similar vessel havinga manhole for obtaining access to its interior, an inwardly-swinging door for said manhole located within the tank; a bracket on the outside of the tank and in close proximity to the manhole; a curved arm pivotcd within said bracket; means for connecting the door with the curved arm, and clamping mechanism for the door, all of which are located outside of the tank.

6. In a tank, vat, or similar vessel having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior, a door for said manhole; a bracket having hinge members and located on the outside of the tank near the manhole; an arm pivotcd to said bracket with one end and provided with a fork at the other end; lugs on said door engaging said fork, and a stop on the said arm to limit its movement.

7. A brewers vat having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior, a door within the said tank adapted to close the said manhole; hinge mechanism for said door, rocking mechanism connecting the hinge mechanism with the door, and means in the rocking mechanism for adjusting the door vertically independent of the hinge mechanism, said means consisting of a series of washers located above and below the rocking mechanism.

8. In a brewcrs or other vat having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior, a bracket on the outside of the vat and provided with one of a pair of hinge members; a

door within said vat; an arm engaging said bracket and forming the second member of said hinge; a fork on the end of this arm; lugs on the door engaging said fork, and further lugs to the outer surface of the door, a resilient onsaid dooraboveand below said fork and pro- IOO IIO

idld Withadjusting-screws acting uponsaid 9. In a brewers or other vat having a manhole for obtaining access to its interior,` adoor for closing the said manhole; a pair oi' hinge members one of which is secured to the outside of the door and the other to the outside of the vat; rocking mechanism connecting one of the hinge members With the door; a stud centrally in said door and a revolving clamp upon said stud the ends of which are adapted to engage the vat.

10. In a brewers or other vat havinga manhole for obtaining access to its interior, a bifurcateol bracket on the outside of the vat; a

curved arm; bosses on said arm engaging said fork; a holt connecting the bracket With the arm; a fork on the end of the arm; a door Within the tank; lugs on theface of said door engaging the fork on the arm; a bolt passing through the lugs and the fork, and a series of Washers upon the said bolt between the forks ot' the arm and the lugs on the door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oi' two subscribing Witnesses,

- WM. HEISER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. RIBBEL, E. CORNING ToWNsEND. 

